The Thinking ‘Kat: ‘Follow the Science’
It is not without some extreme irony that in my recent back-and-forth with Citizen Tom, he bemoaned how Democrats champion science whilst not following it. Meanwhile, thanks to the rhetoric of RFK Jr, there is a surge in cases of the easily-preventable measles illness, an illness that can be crippling, not to mention deadly.
Anti-vax nonsense is dangerous. Whilst Tom and people like him may turn around to champion freedom of choice (which of course has nothing to do with the original argument about following the science), cases of this preventable disease are now at their highest levels for decades, and that’s entirely down to the anti-vax rubbish spread by the likes of RFK Jr. So much for Republicans valuing science.
It’s not just in the USA that measles is on the rise. There’s been an explosion in cases in the UK, as parents inexplicably ignore the science and follow the conspiracy theorists down the rabbit hole. Much of this misplaced fear is down to the anti-science crowd pedalling fear in the wake of conspiracies about the covid vaccines, despite a wealth of evidence that debunks these conspiracies.
Nothing is 100% safe, and there are people who cannot be vaccinated for one reason or another. This does not mean vaccines are not effective! Vaccines are why smallpox has been virtually eradicated. Vaccines keep dangerous diseases under control, so why is it that people champion the likes of RFK Jr, a man who ignores evidence and decidedly does not follow the science? Can someone make it make sense?
To briefly summarise:
Falling back onto the argument about parental choice does nothing to rebuke how Republicans are ignoring the science on this critical issue. The spread of measles in the USA is a damning indictment of their attitude. The spread of it in the UK is a damning indictment of the same mentality on these shores. No political entity can claim to be a party of science whilst allowing deadly illnesses to return and spread via debunked anti-vax rhetoric.
‘Kat Comments